Tungsten has the highest melting point of all metals: 3,422 °C. No other pure metal only becomes liquid at such a high temperature, which is why tungsten is used in filaments, rocket nozzles, and heating elements.
If you're casting metal yourself, you'll be working with types that melt much sooner, and you'll adjust your melting furnace accordingly.
Comparing the melting points of metals
Below are the melting points of the most common metals, sorted from highest to lowest. Alloys such as steel, bronze, and brass melt within a range, depending on their composition.
| Metal | Melting point |
| Tungsten | 3,422 °C |
| Rhenium | 3,186 °C |
| Osmium | 3,033 °C |
| Tantalum | 3,017 °C |
| Molybdenum | 2,623 °C |
| Niobium | 2,477 °C |
| Hafnium | 2,233 °C |
| Iron | 1,538 °C |
| Steel | approx. 1,450 °C |
| Copper | 1,084 °C |
| Gold | 1,064 °C |
| Silver | 962 °C |
| Bronze | approx. 950 °C |
| Brass | approx. 900 °C |
| Aluminium | 660 °C |
| Zinc | 420 °C |
| Lead | 327 °C |
| Tin | 232 °C |
Tungsten: the metal with the highest melting point
Tungsten is the metal with the highest melting point, at 3,422 °C. This is due to its strong metallic bonding: each atom shares up to six outer electrons, causing the atoms to hold tightly together in the crystal lattice. To break these bonds and make the metal liquid, an exceptionally large amount of heat is required.
This same property explains why tungsten is found in filaments, heating elements, and rocket nozzles. The metal remains solid where steel and copper would have long since melted.
Which metal can you melt yourself?
You can melt metals with a low melting point yourself, such as aluminium, copper, bronze, silver, and tin. These non-ferrous metals become liquid between 232 and approximately 1,100 °C, a range easily reached by a gas-fired or electric melting furnace. Aluminium is a favourite among beginners: it melts at just 660 °C and is inexpensive to practice with.
For melting itself, you need a heat-resistant crucible that can withstand the temperature of your metal. The molten metal is then poured into a mould, for example, made of graphite or casting sand. Therefore, choose a furnace with some margin above the melting point of your metal, so that the metal remains liquid during casting.
For lighter metals like aluminium and tin, a compact furnace suffices, while copper, silver, and gold require a higher range and a sturdier crucible. An electric furnace maintains temperature accurately, while a gas-fired furnace heats up faster. You can safely leave tungsten to the industry: at 3,422 °C, it is far beyond the reach of any workshop furnace. If you are unsure which furnace and crucible suit your metal, we are happy to advise you.
